The day with dianne Louise

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod. Wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, 'where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.' Matthew 2:1,2 The wise men were maji. Eastern maji mixed Zoroastrianism with astrology and black magic. They are described in Daniel 2:2,4-5,10, where they are associated with diviner priests, mediums and sorcerers.(HCSB) I have never really looked into what these characters represented. Have you ever had New Age mystics be attracted to your 'aura'? I have! I did not know what to do with them. Some of the very first people to acknowledge Jesus were people we would say fellowshipped 'the dark side.' In fact demons had no problem acknowledging Jesus, they would shout out 'you are the Christ', or beg not to be tormented before their time. What does this mean? Jesus came for the gentile, the sinner, those total...

Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 I have dear friends and family going through the most trying of circumstances, I am called to pray, not judge. There are times when I am really busy, my heart becomes hardened because of my fleshly self-preservation and I have to go to the Lord for cleansing as I know these dear ones need me to stay in the fray and pray. What do I focus on in these times? Christ and His word. I cannot look at the problem as it is a robber, the destroyer is there and I know my bible tells me he is the defeated foe. He is a liar and a cheat. I cannot speak defeat, I cannot give the liar reality, I must speak, pray and think Christ. The blood of Christ has great power, the word of Christ has great power. My bible tells me they overcame him(the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. I must release my Jesus to be gr...

Stand therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armour on your chest, and you feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is God's word. Ephesians 6:14-17 This sounds like someone totally 'in Christ'. If I am in Christ then His truth wraps around me, His righteousness is emblazoned on my chest, I am every ready with willingness and openness to share the gospel. It is Him I turn to when the enemy comes roaring around me, shouting insults, it is the Word of God I run to, live in, feed from, rejoice in. It is my faith in Christ that I raise like a shield against the fiery darts of the enemy. As I live out of my being in Christ I am victorious, blessed, covered, surrounded by His truth, His love, His Ways. No weapon formed against me shall prosper...

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armour of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armour of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Ephesians 6:11-13 I need the Lord's strength and His wisdom. Rather than fret about my decision making ability I must come to Him and petition Him for His Way. The above verse tells me who my enemies are and they are many, they wish to destroy me. The tactics of the devil are constant, ever present, but always the same. I cannot win in my own mind and strength, I must go to the Lord for His mind and His strength. What is the Way? Jesus said He was the Way. I hear the Lord constantly telling...

And masters treat your slaves (workers) the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him. Ephesians 6:8 When William Wilberforce fought against slavery he used the above and preceding scriptures to show we are all equal before God. In a world where flesh likes to categorise and label sections of society God does not see the same things. He sees creatures He has made, all in sin, all needing His Son's gift of forgiveness. Last night I went to an auction dinner held as a fund raiser for the drug and alcohol centre our church supports. The organisers had invited a speaker who was a footballer and he definitely was not used to a church crowd. His language was very colourful (full of expletives) and he struggled to tone himself down for us and basically failed. Underneath the rough exterior was a man who needed Christ just like we do.  Perhaps the organisers will have red faces today but I ...

Slaves (employees) obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ. Don't work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ. Do God's will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. Ephesians 6:-8 Are you in employment that is difficult? I have been. Are you mistreated? I was! What do you do? I had to go to work and trust the Lord that I would find him there. I cared for my bosses clients like they were my own. My boss could see that I was good to his clients but that did not cause him to release me into what I had asked for nor did it cause him to pay me more. For two years I worked in a place that was humiliating and depressing yet I went to find the Lord there. I found Him there. I would walk around a corner and smack straight into His glory, He would fellowship me ther...

Children obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right. Honour your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers don't stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4 Fathers are to take the lead and be involved in the discipline and raising of their children and not do so whimsically or arbitrarily but with purpose. I watch the effect anger has on children. It crushes them and a rage begins deep inside. My father disciplined in anger and many times I would receive the strap without knowing why. At 15 He hit me across the face for something I did not do and my anger and resentment exploded. When Chirist came into my life I knew I had to respect and honour my father and it was very difficult. I lashed out once in rage and wrote a letter to my dad but because it was not related to a particular in...

Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives and Husbands Caring for one another can be taken like 'you do this and I do that'; ' you should'; 'you didn't'; 'why didn't you?'  We can be so self focused. You are here for me! Yet we miss the point. We walk together with the Lord and allow His love to unite us. Without His love we are rules and regulations and failure is the result. If we walk in the love of God then husbands want to love and wives love to respond. It works if we do it right. We offer abuse without love and that is plainly not going to win any prizes. Women cannot sit and complain about men being unloving and men cannot complain about the lack of submission in the woman, if this is the case then both miss the point. Keep Christ at the centre and it will work, says me who has been divorced. yes we did it wrong. Last Sunday I sensed that God was remaking my world, it is never going to be the same again. He makes all things new, not you or I. Grace...

But be filled with the spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. Ephesians 5: 18-21 All of the above commands: be filled; speak to one another; singing and making music; giving thanks; submitting to one another, all sound like the results of a heart overflowing with bubbles of joy, gladness and love. It is like a commercial for the Holy Spirit for without Him we cannot do it, we must be filled. Daily we must come to Him for refreshing inflow. It reminds me of my first experience with the Lord in salvation. I was so happy to be found by Him I bubbled to overflowing, faith filled my heart, nothing was impossible. Giving thanks always for everything helps, a grateful heart does good like a medicine, gratitude defies the robber, his effect cannot be felt by a gratef...

So don't be foolish but understand what the Lord's will is. Ephesians 5:17 What is being foolish? The next verse helps. 'And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the spirit....' Have you ever been at a function and not drunk wine and seen how silly people can behave? they become very loud, they say stuff they would not normally say and behave in a much looser way than they would normally do when they drink, let alone become drunk. I used to flat with another woman and to get me to talk to her she would say 'lets go down to the Indian restaurant and have dinner', usually on a Thursday night. We would have one glass of wine and that was enough to loosen my tongue. The reason I did not talk too freely with this woman was I found the way she behaved scary and thought that if I spoke she would attack me. I look back now and realise I was resolving more than the present with this flatting arrangement, my past was being...

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk - not as unwise people but as wise - making most of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15 The days have always been evil, so how do we make the most of the time? I suggest by walking with eyes of the spirit. We are spirit beings after all. What is happening in the kingdom of God? What is important to Him? What is He doing? This life isn't just about what I eat or wear. What does God want to do in people's lives? When the Lord needs me to pray I sense His love, sometimes for someone, sometimes I know it is for Him, He is about to do something. Learning to walk with the Lord is an exciting challenge because often He wants me to pray when I am doing something, it is inconvenient. However when I do get it right I am blessed. The kingdom of God is about life and peace, much better than shoes, makeup and stuff. God continually told  people, 'lift up your eyes'. When they did they saw something that they would not...

Everything exposed by the light is made clear, for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said: 'Get up sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you. Ephesians 5:13,14 You know how, at times, we seem to hit our head against the wall, as we struggle to knock the barriers down? Well I have had a few of them and began to wonder if in fact it wasn't the Lord's foot in the way. It was! During times of struggle we become frustrated. I am sure Balem was very frustrated with his donkey for not wanting to move. The donkey could see the angel but Balem could only see where he wanted to go. When the Lord reveals His hand there is an 'ah huh!' moment and a sense of release. The release, after a few days of frustration, came just now. I had been trying to push through a loan application for a client and all sorts of barriers were going up. It just was not going to happen in it's current format. Now I know why, a better deal was on t...

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light -for the fruit of the light, results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth - discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10 Darkness and light, how different they are. Darkness is good for hiding, cover-up, deception, wrong doing but the best use of darkness I know is sleep. Light is for doing life, loving, working, relating. To think that we are called light makes us ponder who we are. Jesus said 'you are the light of the world'. Wow! that is huge! Do people see light in is? Are we people of truth, no compromise, a spring of life? Or do they have difficulty because we hide our light under a basket, a life, an experience? I have been told I have a lot of 'energy', at times. Is this light? I believe it is, for it is evident when I embrace who I am in Christ. When I am walking in His creative life I shine. My enemy works hard to put out the light, he brings challen...

But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. For know and recognise this: every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God. Ephesians 5:3-5 Now we come to the hard stuff, this has crept into the church, or should I say slithered into the church. Pornography challenges many and coarse language seems cool but Paul says 'no, saints don't behave like that.' Greed is covered in 'prosperity'. Prosperity is good in the right place, God's blessing. Rather than deal with the darkness let's turn on the light. We have Christ living within, all His goodness, purity, humility are there we just need to fellowship it. Jesus paid for sin, all I need is the garment of salvation, He cleanses from all sin. I remember Ps Phil Pringl...

Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. Ephesians 5:1,2 Here is the blueprint of behaviour. Be imitators of God as dearly loved children. All of us who have children see them begin to want to play adult. Little girls want to dress up and little boys want to fix things (forever) and mow the grass. Why do they do this? It is in them to do this. Love from parents as role models helps. Children have a lot of time with their friends when they play at being children, being silly and imaginative yet they have their moments when they just want to be you. My eldest grand daughter would come to me every Friday and she would head straight for my shoes and makeup (she was 3 at the time). When my grandsons visit they want to work in my garden. The next verse hits right at the core of a Christian's life. And walk in love just as Christ did, He gave up His life f...

All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:31,32 Bitterness, anger, wrath, offense, criticisms and judgement all belong together. They are a nasty bunch. When a person steps into their realm they are dragging around a Pandora's box which they open and allow the spirits within to attack whomever they are offended with.  This crowd eventually bring in more, sickness and disease come along with lust, impurity, sloth, laziness and all manner of evil. I have watched lives be destroyed by this crowd and it is not pretty. Christians become bound and ineffective because they are seduced by lies and feast at the table of unrighteousness. Don't allow yourself to go to these places. If you avoid the brothel then avoid the accusers house he is just as lethal, even more so because he lives beside the brothel, the...

No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. and don't grieve the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:29,30 I don't think we get this. No foul language. We all, or should I say mostly all, have a few choice words we say when against the wall and frustrated. No foul language says none. The only way this will happen is if You Holy spirit take me there. Amazing that I should be aware, at all times, to build up not tear down. To be able to do this I will need to have been reshaped, worked over and broken. This speaks to 'my rights' and dissolves the claims of rights. 'So that it gives grace to those who hear'. Even in my distress grace must come out of my mouth and not anger, frustration or self-righteousness. For me there are certain words I will not say but there are definitely some I allow, how do they affect the hearer? I remember once saying something, can't remember ...

The thief must no longer steal. Instead. he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. Ephesians 4:28 Why do we steal? Because we want what we cannot have and are not perfected in love. As I come to know the one who loves me He provides for all my needs and more beside. No good thing will He withhold from me. Someone dear to me went through a times of shoplifting. This dear one struggled with change and when finally confronted with God's love was ready to walk away from the sin. Some of us so want things to be as they were or how we ideally want them to be instead of trusting the one who loves us. He knows what will come and how it can impact on us but also how we can rise above and morph into a Godlike creature, His child. Our God has employment for each of us, what would He have me do today? Today is Sunday. For a while now I have determined that this is the Lord's day and I will yield it totally to Him. I try to be in t...

Be angry but do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger, and don't give the devil an opportunity. Ephesians 4:26,27 Why do I get angry? The reasons are many and varied. When do I get angry? Usually when I am under stress and moving too quickly. Learning to control anger should begin in childhood otherwise those children will grow into teenagers and not know restraint, they will walk in anarchy, as we see in England. Those same teenagers will grow into adulthood and be very dangerous. I had a conversation with one of my grandsons yesterday about anger. He asked why do we get angry and I explained that often he and his brothers would get angry, not because they don't love each other, but because they want what they can't have. Sound familiar? James 4:1-3 Middle grandson lost his cool when I insisted he get out of the bath because he was taunting his brother, he melted. I calmly explained that bad behaviour reaps rewards just as good behaviour does. His older ...

You put on the new self, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity and truth. Since you put away lying, Speak truth, each to his neighbour, because we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:24,25 I have just published a secular book as part of my business marketing but it does not touch writing about the word of God. I have a secular blog, facebook and website and I can honestly say, 'so that is business but it is not where the life is.' I come to the fountain daily, sometimes more often because there is no word that refreshes like this does, there are no words that challenge like these words and it is here I meet my beautiful Saviour. I could dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Like David, I may have another role to play out there but it is here that does it for me. To worship my God and to be before Him refreshes, brings perspective. I went to see the movie Soul Surfer last night. What an inspirational movie to see what having God i...

But this is not how you learned about the Messiah (referring to previous 3 verses), assuming you heard about Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus. You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; you are renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new self, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of truth. Eph 4:20-24 Currently we are seeing rioting in England. This is a fruit off a bad tree. All the youth involved in the riots have walked in a way that is not truth, they have not been taught truth, they have been dished up lies and now they are living out those lies. When Jesus Christ comes into a situation truth comes. If we live in and respect truth we see the big picture, we know we are loved and we walk in love. Salvation is what we need and the grace that comes in salvation enables us to live right. At salvation we choose to take off the old way of living and put on the n...

Therefore I say this and testify in the Lord; You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thought, they are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. Ephesians 4:37,38 I remember being like this. Futility of thought is a horrible place to be, especially when you know that is where you are and you want to get out. Before I came to a knowledge of having Christ live in my heart I was not content and I was hungry and searching, but insisting it be my way. As this was not going to work my God had to take me to a place of not insisting and yieldedness to His way, then I was ready. I knew I was missing out on the life of God. I would read my bible and it was like hitting a brick wall, it did not penetrate. I loved my bible but it did not compute because I was reading it with eyes of futility. Once I asked Christ into my heart I understood the words, they...

From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it's work. Ephesians 4:14 What an awesome image this creates! This is His plan! What are the supporting ligaments? I believe they are the 5 fold ministries, they are the metal, the stability. They are also the target for the enemy. When the 5 fold ministries are functioning in the body it hums, it is happy, it sings. I know when my ligaments are injured my body limps and is in pain. I cannot run when the ligaments at my knees are inflamed or torn, I sit around miserable, unable to be and do what I am made to do. My prayer is for the ministry that it be strong, pure and undefiled by any strange doctrines of devils. I pray for the protection of those that minister, I raise up the shield above their minds and hearts that the enemy's darts cannot get through. I speak salvation, strength, vision, purpose, rest, time with their Lord, endurance, f...

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the technique of deceit. But speaking the truth in love. let us grow up in every way into Him who is the head - Christ. Ephesians 4:14,15 What does 'then' relate to? The previous verses talk about having apostles, pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers for the training of the saints (that's us) so that we all reach maturity. A mature person cannot be cheated out of what is theirs in Christ, they cannot be deceived. They listen and measure all they hear against the truth of the word of God. A person matures as they allow themselves to be trained. A rebel is often immature and plagued with dysfunctional character traits. Yes we should not submit to bad leadership or parenting. Abuse is not acceptable however, we must find someone who can bring us through the hurts and bring us to Christ for healing. A whole person shines with th...

He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ's fullness. Ephesians 4:11-13 Where do we find all of these? In the local church and if not all in the local church in visiting ministries. All have something to give and all are necessary for maturity. Without the evangelist churches become insular, without the prophet they lose vision, without a teacher they do not understand the word, without pastors they live wrong, without the apostle they are not lead, churches are not planted. God's plans is that we reach maturity and unity. If this does not happen then we are dysfunctional. God is all about balance, unity, growth and maturity. The measure is Christ's fullness. In Him all the above attributes we...

But what does 'He Ascended' mean except that He descended to the lower parts of the earth? The One who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. Ephesians 4:9,10 Jesus Christ went to hell and took the keys of death and hell from Satan. We see a lot of movies about the latest hero. At present it is the Green Lantern. While I have not seen it I have seen the preview. A man from earth is chosen to save his world. Jesus faced off the enemy of our souls, the being who ruled the spirit world of earth. He had authority over us, it was given to him by the first man and woman. They were deceived into giving up their freedom. Jesus won it back. While we have been set free, legally, we must appropriate it experiential. In other words walk in it. Jesus not only defeated our arch enemy in the bowels of the earth He soared into the heavenlies and established His throne there, Our saviour rules and reigns in the spirit world, it is o...

Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the Messiah's gift. Ephesians 4:7 As the victor over sin and death Christ give gifts to us, His redeemed. I once had a pastor who used to say 'you don't have grace for that' or 'That is your grace'. This was a new concept for me at that time. There is a grace given to me and when I operate in it blessing flows. At the times I run into a wall of problems and I can easily second guess myself. However the wall of problems are for me to solve and be creative with so I should not back away. I remind myself of how the Lord loves a 'nothing' situation, this is where miracles are performed. In the face of utter defeat God turns up and changes things, if invited. We do not see fully all that the Lord has for us and it is our limited vision that trips us up. If I only see me in my circumstances then I fail to see as God sees and will limit myself. However, my God sees way further than I and He...

There is one body and one spirit -just as you were called to one hope at your calling - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 There are seven ones in this passage. In an age when men seek to add ones there is only seven and they all come from God. There is only one body and one spirit, nothing else. We are called to awaken to who we are, what we were created for and this is it, one body and one spirit. I cannot bring anything with me or import anything along the way, there is no room for there is One. There is one hope. My hope is my calling and what my God sees my future to be. I am sure this raises the ire of any who want a say. It is like the pot on the potter's wheel saying 'no you are making me wrong, I want to be a flute not a pan.' As  walk in the hope of my calling I am fulfilled, blessed, completed. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. There is only one saviour. Jesus said 'I ...

Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. Ephesians 4:1-3 I had to read this several times as we now move from what God has done for us to what we should be doing. The language is almost foreign to us. Humility, patience and gentleness, us? Diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit? Huh? There is no way we can do this by trying because we will fail. So how do we do it? Mmm perhaps walk in the spirit. Romans tells us that the 'law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death'. 8:2 How do I walk in the spirit? Surrender helps! Live a life worthy of your calling. In the movie 'Ever After' the prince does not want to be king because of the demands it will place on him and is remonstrated with by Danielle who sees it as a marv...

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us - to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations. forever and ever Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21 Now is one of those times when I am standing back and allowing the Lord to step in and do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think, I am placing my faith in His ability and power. I know my lack but oh I know His greatness. I now need to see His power, I have His presence but want to see great and wondrous things. At times like this, miracle working times fear is very prevalent. I am sure my enemy fears the revealing of the sons of God, the revealing of my God working in this vessel. I refuse to take his fear on, I want to stand and watch my God do great and wondrous things, and He is. My God has great plans for me and I want to allow His greatness and not stay with my smallness. Abraham was shown the stars and told his descendants would be like ...

I pray that you (and I), being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you (and I) may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19 Being established in love is first and foremost. As I am established in love I know, without a doubt 'if God be for me then who can be against me.' When fear comes knocking I have to go back to the basics, God is for me, without Him I am undone but with Him I am made. As I understand the love of Christ I grow in capacity to step out and take the land He has for me. As we grow in the love of our parents we grow up and begin to see our future, we are embolden to step out. I must grow in love and stay rooted and grounded in it or I shrivel up and die. We see images of babies in orphanages that have not experienced the touch of love, they do not grow, they are sickly ye...